Turkey Launches New Military Satellite
Security officials said that the Gokturk-1 would be widely used in Turkey’s fight against the Kurdish militant group PKK
Ami Rojkes Dombe
| 11/12/2016
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The Gokturk-1 is a high-resolution, optical Earth-observation satellite for civilian and military applications, reports Defense News. It can scan high-resolution images (up to 0.8 meters) and features an onboard X-band digital imaging system to handle data compression, storage and downloading.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Turkish President Erdogan said Turkey was now targeting more advanced and more indigenous satellites. “With a scanning capability up to 0.5-meter (1.64-foot) resolution, we will benefit from the satellite in wide areas ranging from damage assessment after natural disasters to harvest forecasts,” the president said in televised comments. "Today, Turkey’s external dependence in the defense industry is half the amount of what it used to be 14 years ago. The domestic participation rate in this satellite [industry] is 20 percent."
Security officials said that the Gokturk-1 would be widely used in Turkey’s fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. The fighting with the PKK had claimed nearly 40,000 lives since 1984 when the group launched a military offensive for a Kurdish homeland.
Having already spent about $1 billion on satellite programs, Ankara wants to "nationalize" the satellite business. The Turkish government aims to build the first fully indigenous Turkish satellite by 2019. The country wants to invest more on "software, design, and platform."
Turkey wants to be operating a fleet of 10 satellites by 2023.
Security officials said that the Gokturk-1 would be widely used in Turkey’s fight against the Kurdish militant group PKK
youtube
The Gokturk-1 is a high-resolution, optical Earth-observation satellite for civilian and military applications, reports Defense News. It can scan high-resolution images (up to 0.8 meters) and features an onboard X-band digital imaging system to handle data compression, storage and downloading.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Turkish President Erdogan said Turkey was now targeting more advanced and more indigenous satellites. “With a scanning capability up to 0.5-meter (1.64-foot) resolution, we will benefit from the satellite in wide areas ranging from damage assessment after natural disasters to harvest forecasts,” the president said in televised comments. "Today, Turkey’s external dependence in the defense industry is half the amount of what it used to be 14 years ago. The domestic participation rate in this satellite [industry] is 20 percent."
Security officials said that the Gokturk-1 would be widely used in Turkey’s fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. The fighting with the PKK had claimed nearly 40,000 lives since 1984 when the group launched a military offensive for a Kurdish homeland.
Having already spent about $1 billion on satellite programs, Ankara wants to "nationalize" the satellite business. The Turkish government aims to build the first fully indigenous Turkish satellite by 2019. The country wants to invest more on "software, design, and platform."
Turkey wants to be operating a fleet of 10 satellites by 2023.
